Structural vent assembly for a roof perimeter

Abstract

A structural vent assembly comprising a back member having a forward surface and a rear surface; a mount member adapted to be secured to the support structure between the roof deck and the support structure, the mount member having a proximal end fixedly attached to the rear surface; a front member having an outer surface and an inner surface; and means for connecting the forward surface to the inner surface in spaced apart relationship to form a passage for air flow therebetween, the passage having an upper end and a lower end communicating with the air space of the roof deck.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 344,996, filed on Jan. 4, 2002.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to roofing components, and more particularly, to roofing ventilation systems. With even more particularity, the present invention relates to improved vent assemblies for the perimeter of roof systems having vented roof decks.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Roof systems typically comprise a roof deck system utilized to support a roof membrane such as shingles. The roof deck system of a commercial building is typically comprised of a metal deck such as a sheet of corrugated steel mounted on a roof deck support structure such as steel or wooden roof beams. The metal deck supports insulation that, in turn, supports a wood member such as oriented strand board (“OSB”) or plywood. This wood member provides the support surface for the roof membrane. A problem found with such prior art roof deck systems is that heat and mois...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Another object of the present invention is to provide a structural vent assembly for use with a roof perimeter that is easy to install and does not require complicated, expensive, and field labor intensive custom design procedures.

[0010]A still further object of the present invention is to provide a structural vent assembly that provides stable structural support for components of a roof perimeter.

[0012]An additional object of the present invention is to provide a structural vent assembly for a roof perimeter that is strong enough to withstand stresses between the roof deck and the roof deck supporting structure.

[0014]In one embodiment, the present invention allows outside air to flow from a vented soffit panel, through an air passage in the unit, and into a vented roof deck system. Further, the present invention ties the eave ends of the building structure together and provides structural support for the perimeter of a roof deck. Preferably the back member of the present invention and mount member of the present invention are comprised of an upper and a lower bent plate each with a leg, one extending upward and the other extending downward, which form the back side of the air passage of the present invention. The front or fascia side of the present invention is attached to the back side of the present invention with spacing members such as zee purlins thereby forming the air passage. The front side of the present invention provides stable support for gutters, finished fascia material and soffit panels. The unit is preferably comprised entirely of steel to eliminate the use of wood due to the numerous problems encountered with wood building materials such as rotting, warping, burning, shrinking, and being attacked by termites. The present invention provides architects, engineers, and builders with an improved one-piece solution that eliminates the need for custom design procedures. The present invention may be installed quickly and easily, thereby greatly improving field productivity. The present invention may also be manufactured in a factory-controlled environment which, compared to on-site custom design and manufacturing techniques, produces a higher quality product less expensively.

Problems solved by technology

A problem found with such prior art roof deck systems is that heat and moisture tend to penetrate into the wood member and, as a result of inadequate ventilation, the wood member deteriorates thereby causing premature failure of the roof membrane.

One problem with this improvement is that there are no uniform vented eave designs.

As a result, architects, engineers, and builders must perform custom designs that are on-site labor intensive, causing a significant increase in construction expense.

The on-site nature of the design and construction of conventional vented eave systems reduces the quality of the finished product because it is not manufactured under controlled conditions.

In addition to difficulties associated with construction, conventional vented eaves have not been designed to provide stable support for gutters, finished fascia material, soffit panels, and other components of roof deck perimeters.

Conventional vented eaves also make use of wood building materials, and thus suffer problems inherent with such materials such as rotting, warping, burning, shrinking, and being subject to attack by termites.

Further, steel angles used for roof deck support cause the deck to slope slightly upwards at the roof edge, thereby causing a “ski slope condition” which results in the finished roof surface being out of plane.

From the foregoing it may be seen that heretofore, no one has adequately provided a structural vent assembly for use along the perimeter of a roof with a vented roof deck.

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